By Dolly Duplantier A variety of new developments are coming to the Randolph-Fulton Market/West Loop area. Bridgford Foods and its vice president of industrial relations and safety Richard Bridgford want to turn their properties at 171 and An independent community newspaper since 1983. Near West/Tri-Taylor University Village West Loop South Loop West Haven Bridgeport/Armour Square Chinatown Bronzeville East Pilsen Heart of Chicago October 7, 2016 FREE Vol. 34, No. 6 By Monica M. Walk Bicyclists in the South Loop will have better and safer access to the neighborhood beginning next year. At an Aug. 23 residents meeting hosted by South Loop Neighbors at Grace Place on south Dearborn Street, City officials presented a plan for more bike lanes. Construction will occur in sum- mer and fall 2017, with funding coming from the Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Miti- gation and Air Quality funds. "It was a very interesting, well attended meeting," said Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Assistant Director of Trans- portation Planning Mike Amsden, estimating about 50 area residents attended the two-hour meeting. "Some very vocal concerns domi- nated the meeting for awhile. When others spoke up, they got excited about the project. The alderman [Sophia King of the 4th Ward] asked who supported the project, and a majority did." New bikeways will come to Polk (Dearborn Street to Plymouth Court), Plymouth (Polk to 9th Street), and 9th Streets (Plymouth to Grant Park). Workers will extend the Polk/ Plymouth Neighborhood Green- way's Dearborn Street protected bike lane and upgrade a section of barriers on Dearborn from Planned bike lanes will mean safer cycling, walking in South Loop area Continued on page 14 INSIDE Other highlights: Resurrection Project saves remaining Pilsen SRO. See page 3. Chinatown SSA progresses, taxes may increase. See page 18. UI Health System ranks eighth locally and state-wide. See page 30. Haley Carlton, Gazette reporter, passes away at 46. See page 31. Workers' skills topic of discussion at Urban Forum. See page 16. University Village Row Homes offers variety of styles. See page 12. By Monica M. Walk Overturning Governor Bruce Rauner's August veto of an auto- matic voter registration (AVR) bill passed by both houses of the Illi- nois General Assembly is not a sure outcome, despite bipartisan support of the bill (SB250) by both Republican and Democratic legislators. "Governor Rauner makes it clear he will attack those not in agreement; some Republicans will 'peel off' over a veto" and not vote to override it, said Cook County Clerk David Orr, an AVR bill pro- ponent. "This is good legislation," Orr noted. "It cleans the rolls and pro- tects people. But it's tough to fight a veto." Senate Bill 250, sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Andy Manar (D-Decatur) and in the House by State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), passed the legisla- ture in May with broad bipartisan support: 86-30 in the House, 50-7 in the Senate. Rauner vetoed the bill Aug. 12. Legislators are sched- uled to reconvene and consider an override in mid-November. The legislation would make both registering to vote and up- dating voter registration auto- matic when individuals apply for a new or updated driver's license at Illinois Secretary of State facilities. It also would expand the registra- tion system to allow individuals to register to vote whenever they conduct business or interact with the State's Department of Human Services, Department of Health- care and Family Services, Depart- ment of Employment Security, and Department on Aging. Indi- viduals would be free to opt out of registration if they wish. Currently, Illinois voter regis- tration is "opt in"-citizens seek- ing services at these sites are asked if they would like to register to vote or update voter registration rather than having their updated Automatic voter registration veto could be overturned Variety of new projects planned for West Loop Continued on page 6 Continued on page 10 Properties located on the 900 block of West Randolph Street will form part of a large-scale redevelopment by Tucker Development and Acadia Realty Trust.